Missional Practices and Habits

In Right Here, Right Now, Hirsch and Ford reuse the practices Michael Frost outlined in one of his previous books that his missional community has adopted: taking the acrostic BELLS....

Bless: do three acts of blessings daily, one may be simple email of encouragement, or a gift, be creative; Eat, share meals at least three times a week with others and themselves; Listen, one hour a week through prayer walk or solitude time; Learn, bible study and other works such as fiction and nonfiction too; Sent, record how in their daily interactions they have worked with and against Jesus. In community, share with one another your BELLS.

Practice Integration....Work on bringing cohesion into your life. Shop and eat at the same places. Purchase services from the same providers. Call workers by their names and make sure they know your name...Start a game night, book club, monthly recipe swap party, invite from all spheres...

Organize sharing...create a neighborhood asset and skills inventory for neighbors to post items and services they are willing to share, such as construction and mechanic tools, gardening tools, vans or trucks (offer yourself and your vehicle once or twice a month for neighbors who do not own one but are in need)...Tutoring, tax preparation, minor household fixes, office equipment such as fax or copier [Ron note: that is important here because there are no office places to go do that even if people had money to do it]...Music lessons.

Foster neighborhood interdependence....start a neighborhood blog or facebook page where neighbors can list job needs and opportunities, babysitting, the skills inventory, DVD and book sharing, the affinity groups, events...start a regular weekend bike ride; organize a summer movie under the stars with projector, lawn chairs and refreshments...